Railroad-track adjuster.



NO- 828,359. PATBNTED AUGQ14, 1906. W. WIEBERG & M. HAUSNER.

RAILROAD TRACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a1. 1906.

2 SHBETS-SHBBT 1.

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No. 828,359. PATENTE'D AUG. 14

W. WIEBERG & M. HAUSNBR.

RAILROAD TRACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1906.

2 SHEET8-SHBET 2.

w; Wows name STATES PATENT omen.

RAILROAD-TRACK ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

5 Application filed March 31, 1906\ Serial No. 309,106-

To all whom, it nwty concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM WIEBERG and MATTHEW HAUsNER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Koeltztown, in the county of Osage andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroad-Track Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices foradjusting railroad-tracks; and itconsists of a lifting device having means for clamping the rails andmounted on a truck for shifting the track laterally.

The purpose of the invention is for use in railroad construction and insection work in adjusting and readjusting the level of the track and itsalinement.

The construction, operation, and advantages of our invention will bedescribed in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of our invention, showing itin operation. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section, 'ofthe lifting-jack.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Our invention consists of a base A, comprising a block of timber narrowenough to be seated between the ties of an ordinary railroad-bed andhaving cross pieces or cleats a on its base to prevent longitudinalmotion of the block when the device is in operation, as hereinafterdescribed. The upper face of the block A is covered with a sheet-metalplate A. At one end of block A upright ears B are secured, between whichis fulcrumed a lever C, having pivotally secured thereto a link 0, while6 indicates a link pivotally mounted on ears B.

D indicates a truck having rollers d journaled thereon, said truck beingmounted on block A. At one end of truck D is secured a rack-bar E, inwhich the two links I) and 0 work to move the truck for the purposeshereinafter stated, it being understood that the link 0 operates to movethe truck by swinging the lever C, while the link I) operates as a pawlto hold the truck when pressure on the lever C is released to swing itback to obtain a fresh hold. At the other end of truck D is provided ahole (I, in which a hook F is removably secured having claws f toretrack.

ceive and hold a chain Gr, having hook g on its outer end to be securedto the base of a railroad-rail.

Mounted on truck D is a post H, which for greater strength is preferablymade of two bars of metal secured together. I indicates a rack-barslidably mounted between guides h, secured to post H, said rack-bar forthe purposes of strength being also constructed of two metal (preferablysteel) bars, as in the case of the post, one of said bars beingindicated by the character 71 and having the ratchet-teeth i, thereon,while the other bar i is slightly wider than bar 6 to form flanges forguiding bar I between said guides h.

A lever J is fulcrumed at the upper end of post H and has pivotallysecured thereto a link to engage teeth t" to raise rack-bar I, while alink K is pivotally secured to the post to hold the rack-bar in a raisedposition after being raised by the operation of the lever, thisconstruction being the ordinary construc: tion of ratchet-and-link jack.7c indicates a projection on link K for holding the link out ofengagement with teeth '6 when desired. At the upper end of bar I aresecured clawhooks L, to each of which is adjustably secured a chain orother flexible element M, having at its free end a clamp N to grip therails. The form of clamp shown in our drawings consists of the pivotedaw construction having a link n, secured to each jaw and to the end ofthe chain M; but said form of clamp is used for illustration only, andwe do not wish to be confined thereto in the 0011- struction of ourdevice.

The form of jack shown and hereinbefore described may be dispensed withand any other suitable form, such as a screw-jack operated by alever-and-ratchet movement, or other suitable construction, substitutedtherefor without affecting the spirit and scope of our device.

In operating our invention the block A is set down between two of theties of the track, with the end having the ears B at the side towardwhich it may be desired to shift the The clamps N are then secured tothe rails at the two sides of the device and the rack-bar I elevated, bymeans of lever J as above described. This will lift the rails and tiesclear of the ground, and if it is desired to merely raise the level ofthe track the device will elevate and hold the track while being tampedand reballasted. If, however, it is desired to shift the track to oneside, the hook g is secured to the rail and the truck D drawn along baseA by means of lever C, operating through link 0, engaging the teeth ofrackbar E. If one side of the track is to be made higher than the other,as in rounding curves, the chain on the corresponding side of our deviceshould be shortened so as to give the desired pitch.

It will be understood that in the operation of our device the weight ofthe raised track serves to steady it and holds it firmly in position.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim is 1. In arailroad-track adjuster, a lifting device, means to connect said devicewith the rails of a railroad-track, and means to move said liftingdevice transversely of the track, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a railroad-track adjuster, a lifting device, flexible elementssecured to said device, means to secure said flexible elements to therailroad-rails, and means to move said lifting device transversely ofthe track, substantially as shown and described.

3. A railroad-track adjuster comprising a truck arranged to movetransversely of the track, a lifting device mounted on said truck, meansto connect said lifting device with the rails of a railroad-track, meansto connect said truck with one of the rails of the track, and means toactuate said truck, substantially as shown and described.

4. A railroad-track adjuster comprising in combination with the ties andrails of a railroad-track, a block to seat between two of said ties, atruck mounted on said block, a lifting device mounted on said truck,chains adjustably secured to the lifting device and having means toclamp the rails, a chain secured to the truck and having a hook toengage one of the rails, and means to actuate said truck, substantiallyas shown and described.

5. A railroad-track adjuster comprising in combination with the railsand ties of a railroad-track, a block to seat between two of the ties,cross-cleats on the bottom of said block, a metal plate on the topthereof, a

truck mounted on said block, a lever fulcrumed on said block, operativeconnections between said lever and truck, a lifting device secured tosaid truck, chains adjustably secured to said lifting device and havingclamps to be secured to said rails, and a chain adjustably secured tothe truck and having a hook thereon to engage one of said rails,substantially as shown and described.

6. A railroad-track adjuster comprising int combination with the railsand ties of a railroad-track, a block to seat between two of the ties,cross-cleats on the bottom of said block, a metal plate on the topthereof, a truck mounted on said block, a rack-bar secured to one end ofsaid truck, a lever fulcrumed on said block, a link pivotally secured tosaid leverand engaging the teeth on said rack-bar, a lifting devicesecured to said truck, chains adj ustablysecured to said lifting deviceand having clamps to be secured to said rails, and a chain adjustablysecured to the truck and having a hook thereon to engage one of saidrails, substantially as shown and described.

7. Arailroad-track adjuster comprising in combination with the rails andties of a railroad-track, a block to seat between two of the ties,cross-cleats on the bottom of said block, a metal plate on the topthereof, a truck mounted on said block, a rack-bar secured to one end ofsaid truck, upright ears on said block, a lever fulcrumed on said ears,a link pivotally secured to said lever and engaging the teeth of saidrack-bar, a link pivotally secured to said ears and engaging the teethof said rack-bar, a lifting device secured to said truck, chainsadjustably secured to said -lifting device and having clamps to besecured to said rails, and a chain adjustably secured to the truck andhaving a hook thereon to engage one of said rails, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof we hereto affix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WILLIAM WIEBERG. MATTHEWV HAUSNER.

